The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-04-29
A Snake Geranium.
SHINY HORROR IN THE VEGETABLE woRLr
AS SEEN IN GEORGIA.

"Yes that is what call it, said the
doctor.
Istooped down To examine the flower
Hideous, repulsive, and yet strangely
attractive, the snake gerauium seemed
TO hold me under spell.
To describe this flower one would
have to paint life and motion. Mere
color is not enough. As l looked the
evil thing glared at me with sinister in
telligence. There was nothing remark.
able about the stalk and the leaves of
the plant. The blossom was what
riveted my gaze. Black, sinuous and
Shiny, it looked more like q snake than
anything else. As l changed my point
of view the thing changed its aspect.
Its scales were purplish black, then
a dirty brown. Two little CLASSY beads
in the monsters head glittered with
prismatic hues and looked straight into
my eyes. Was mistakeni could
have sworn that this aSesome bloom
turned and twisted with the uncanny
freakishness of reptile.
"You know something of botany"
said the doctor, ''how do you classify
itf"
at is not to be classified" l answer
ed. ut is a monstrosity. There is
nothing like it. 1t is poisonous
81 think so,' was the reply, 'the old
African who found it called it 'pizen
plant, but l renamed it,"
had seen nearly everything worth
seeing in the floral world, but this sin
gular plant blooming unnoticed in an
obscure corner of country doctors
garden amazed me beyond expression
From the first the sckening odor of
the flower had been terribly oppressive.
In fact, it had prevented close exam
ination. Suddenly my brain seemed
benumbed, cold chill seized me, and,
with face of deadly pallor, l reeled
and would have fallen to the ground
but for the doctors strong arm.
was half sick, or rather 10 dazed,
half stupe6ed state, for days after my
return to town. One evening q negro
called at my house with a note from
my friend, the doctor, and covered
basket. The messenger was gone be-
fore l could read the note. ] glanced
at the paper and then opened the basket.
did not know whether to laugh or be
angry. Comfortably fixed in big jar
the snake gsranium gave fiirty twist
and snapped its wicked eyes in my
face
To have this floral horror in my
house was out Of the question, and yet
Twas proud of the monster. made ser-
want carry it to a sunny nook in the
back yard. She returned with chatter
ing teeth.
'De lawd hab mussy ?' she exclaim-
ing "dat ting's alive. Hit'll bite, shos
yer bawnT
did not contradict her. In fact,
agreed with her.
Sometimes carried my friends to
see my pet. invariably had the sat
isfaction of hearing them swear, and
generally had to send them home in
carriage. One whiff of the snake
geranium was enough to make totter-
ing wreck of the strongest man.
A little girl next door took a won
derful fancy to the flower. Frequently
she come over when was absent and
spent all hour at time fondling the
plant and looking at it. Of all the
persons who saw it she was the only
one not affected by its peculiar odor.
Sometimes ! fell into deep study over
the mutual attachment existing between
my monster and the girl. l call it
mutual because it was impossible to
view my snake geranium without Civ
ing it credit for life and intelligence.
The girl was queer little creature,
with midnight hair and velvety eyes.
She had certain impish beauty that
made me shudder. Between the girl
and the geranium l came near being
deviled to death.
As the weeks passed on the girl con-
tinued her visits. She grew thinner
and paler, and her eyes grew larger
and blacker. More than once I over
heard the servants whispering that the
snake geranium was killing the child.
This alarmed me, and one day told
my young neighbor that the plant was
poisonous, and that she must not 90
near it. She rather shrank from me
and with sorrowful look sped home
ward without saying a word.
came home Unexpectedly one day,
and found the girl paying a surreptious
visit to the flower. / went to her full
OF wrath, but was disarmed by what /
saw. The poor thing had tainted, and
wrikgling and squirming over the side
of the jar, within few inches of the
childs face, was that diabolical geran-
ium.
took my visitor home and told her
mother all about it. We spoke with
some severity to the little offender, but
we thought it was for er good l never
once thought of destroying my mon
ster.
No words can express the horror /
felt the next morning when / heard
that my girl neighbor was dead. She
had been found lifeless ard cold in bed
a, an early hour. Her appearance l
was told, was that of person who had
been poisoned. On the pillow was a
slimy mark that resembled serpent's
trail
When heard this | rushed frantic
ally out to the corner containing my
geranium. One of the servants OWNED
my purpose and followed me. In the
jar we saw the stalk of the plant with
few leaves attached to it, but the
horrible blossom, where was it
The snake geranium was gone !
could not utter word, ! had 10 in
quiries to make, and i wanted to hear
no exclamations. 1 ran back to the
house but l heard the old negro cry
out
"Hit's gonel Hit done crawled ober
into de mex yard. ! see hits track !"